ring chains or ice chains

donny hochstetler · December 18, 2009, 06:08:31 PM

Hi guys I just bought a clark cable skidder seems to work fine, we cut and skidded about 30,000 ft. this week,mostly walnut northern redoak veneer timber,my question is which typ of chains would be best, for winter logging in relativly flat to rolling terrain, I will have to run these on the back of the machine, because of clearance issuses up front.

bill m · December 18, 2009, 06:19:10 PM

If you are on frozen ground / ice - ice chains would be better. I prefer ice chains year round. I think they help protect the tires from wear better than rings. Two years ago I was running a JD 548 with new ring chains on front and back. There was a hill on the job the skidder had a very hard time climbing but my tractor with ice chains would walk up like it was flat ground.

Mark K · December 18, 2009, 08:22:30 PM

I run rings on the front and pics on the back. Bill m is right, the rings are not good on frozen ground. During the summer I just run my front rings, you cant beat them in mud. I put the pics on during the winter so I can steer because my timberjack has the locked axles and when you back up, no matter which way you turn ya keep going straight. How much clearance do you have in the front? My skidder only has about 4" between the tire and the blade. If you are just going to run chains on the back, I dont think I would run rings. I think it will be hard on the diff. and steering on frozen ground.

donny hochstetler · December 18, 2009, 09:18:37 PM

I have, I would say about 3,in. of clearance up front, plus the front axle osc., and I think, if you would run one wheel in a hole, the other would come way up ,and hit the engine shield ,I would prefer to run chains on the front .I have been amazed how this skidder getts around ,we had it in places that if I would have another color machine it would have gone over . :D keep your powder dry!!

Mark K · December 19, 2009, 12:00:02 AM

My front axle osc. too but the blade on a timberjack is attached to the axle. My tires come close but wont touch the engine shields. Are the rims on yours off set, could you switch them side to side to widen it out? Ice pics might be able to clear in the front but I dont think rings will work for ya. Them clarks look like a stable machine, not many around here.

donny hochstetler · December 19, 2009, 06:04:59 PM

I don"t think my rims are offset and my blade is not attatched to the axle, i"ll figure something out. It snowed several inches so i"ll need chains soon >:(

ford62783 · December 19, 2009, 06:31:02 PM

i prefer ice chains my self on back and rings on front how we always ran them but ice work better in packy snow due to the grip

aksawyer · December 20, 2009, 09:08:57 PM

hello and good luck with the clark.I have ran almost all of the differant breeds of skidders.I have never been on any kmc or fmc track skidders.But have ben on all of the rubber tired ones but not much time on a Franklin,ran one a little as a kid when I would stay at logging camp,they let me run it to bury the weeks garbage.I love the clarks the best very stable,lots of clearance yet keeping most weight down low.Prefer the ones with fat tires.Be very careful about the chains up front ,very dangerous when backing to the next log, looking back as the chain pick up a limb and shoves it in cab with you.30 below yesterday in fairbanks ak but warmed up to 8 below today

timberjack240 · December 20, 2009, 11:50:15 PM

we run rings on the fromnt and w/e is availbe ont eh back only when needed we take the slack or tails as we call em and put a clevis to them and the side links to keep em from hittin off the blade cylinders

240b · December 21, 2009, 09:21:08 AM

Ice chains, hands down. If you have worn down 23.1x26 tires and are getting new chains you can buy the size for 18.4X34 tires and they will fit alot better (less side chain length) and maybe be alittle less expensive.

Gary_C · December 21, 2009, 10:04:34 AM

You don't see many ring chains around here anymore. They are just too hard on tires and really rough riding on hard roads or hard packed snow or ice.

Another vote for ice chains.

chevytaHOE5674 · December 21, 2009, 10:15:58 AM

Ice chains 200%....

Ron Scott · December 21, 2009, 11:09:34 AM

Ditto! to ice chains, especially if having to run hilly terrain.

Stephen Alford · December 21, 2009, 03:58:09 PM

What I like about the ice chains ,which I run on the back, is they extend over the side of the tire. When the wheel runs against a log on the ground it will just climb over as opposed to spinning. Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry christmas and add a thank-you to Jeff ,the admins and all those who make the forestry forum happen.

donny hochstetler · December 21, 2009, 06:25:48 PM

I checked around and found tirechains.com on the net, called em, said I wanted a set of ice chains ,told me he sold the last pair on fri. : bummer , now I can either go with ring chains, or wait on next shipment .Has anyone ever delt with these people, they seem to have good prices, there out of Johnstown P.A.

beenthere · December 21, 2009, 08:13:15 PM

Donny

I have dealt with them, and found them to be honest with me.

timberjack240 · December 22, 2009, 12:19:51 AM

try lyons eq in allenwood pa or maybe brookville. we always used rings seems to last longer and easier to weld one kob of rocks burns the nubbies off ice chains in a hurry

240b · December 22, 2009, 08:30:24 AM

I wouldn't buy the cheapest ones you can get. the steel can be horrible in some. Look at Babac or try and get a pair of OFA's (Ovaka,Labonvilles). The Babac's are made in Maine and I usually can get a pair in a day or so here.(VT) They have usually have common sizes in stock And they will build what you want also. Norse supergrip ice chains are about the best I've used. Windy Ridge in Tamworth NH imports those. The russian ones I had an my grapple were made kind of crude an broke alot (3/4"wire) A u-form stud seems to last longer here, Lots of ledge and granite to tread on. Also, I began hard facing the caulks and while time consuming, sure does give many more hours.

faster1 · December 25, 2009, 03:48:10 PM

anyone know of any used ice chains (23 or 28's) in northwest pa, southern ny or eastern ohio?

donny hochstetler · December 25, 2009, 09:54:17 PM

thanks guys for the feed back i"ll wait till they get there next shipment, our snow all melted today 8) Also I found a used set 28s on the net just google skidder tires

redneck · December 27, 2009, 06:51:58 PM

ice chains all the way!! i just put a new set of ring chains on the back of my skidder a few days ago, lots of traction in the snow but rough as hell on the road that i plow. i am actually thinking of taking them off and putting a set of ice chains on instead because of the amount of plowing that i do.